


Time-Crossed

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Gravity Falls, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, M/M, Stuck in the past, Time Travel, creepy hands, gravity falls is a horror movie, that's a big spaceship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23803102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: After a battle with mysterious enemies, the crew of the IGF Atlas takes a trip they can't easily come back from - to the past.
Relationships: That's a surprise for later
Kudos: 10





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Voltron (c) Netflix and Dreamworks  
> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney

_In the summer of 2015, a ship crashed down, forced by the barrier around Gravity Falls. Inside, there was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.  
_ _Only problem was, she was from 61 years in the future...  
  
_ –  
  
 _June 2nd, 2076, somewhere in space_ -  
  
“They're not letting up!” Red Paladin Lance McClain yelled as Voltron swerved to avoid an attack from the giant space creatures.  
  
“Everyone, pull back inside! I'm going to change the Atlas for battle!” Admiral Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane ordered.  
  
“You heard him! Everyone, pull back! Lions, separate!” Black Paladin Keith Kogane ordered. And not a moment too soon, the giant creatures nearly slammed into them with an attack that they narrowly avoided by separating into smaller pieces.  
  
“MFEs, you too!” Shiro ordered.  
  
“Understood! Everyone, fall back to the Atlas!” Lieutenant James Griffin, leader of the Mecha-Flex-Exo team – MFE for short – ordered as his team flew back towards the massive battleship.  
  
As soon as the Voltron Lions and MFE fighters landed inside, the pilots all fled to the designated “safe zones”, the spots where the Atlas wouldn't potentially crush them, just as the change started to happen. The ship started to rearrange itself into a human-like shape, forcing everyone to evacuate to the closest “safe zone”.  
  
“Why couldn't we just stay out there?” Keith grumbled a bit. “These 'safe zones' are so cramped...”  
  
“Too risky?” Lance shrugged.  
  
The battle was won quickly enough, thankfully, and the two teams got their personal space back once the Atlas returned to normal. Their troubles weren't over completely, though.  
  
“Paladins, report to the bridge! You need to see this!”  
  
“See you later.” James shrugged as Keith nodded and led his team away.  
  
-–  
  
“What IS that?” Katie “Pidge” Holt breathed as they stared at a strange multicolored rift in space.  
  
“It's not any rift _I've_ ever seen.” Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, a ten-thousand year old member of a fallen alien race called Alteans, said thoughtfully.  
  
“I'm detecting some weird patterns.” Veronica McClain, Lance's older sister, said from her station. “Checking in with Slav, he says they're temporal patterns.”  
  
“Temporal?” Pidge frowned.  
  
“Is it dangerous?” Keith asked.  
  
“I'm not sure. It doesn't seem to be.” Shiro frowned as the rift started to glow along the edges in a pulsating way. “Wait, there's a gravitational pull. We need to get free of it.” He started controlling the ship again, trying to get free.  
  
“The pulsating's increasing.” Veronica reported.  
  
“That thing is getting brighter!” Keith shielded his eyes.  
  
Shiro focused on his work. “We have to get out of here, before--”  
  
A light engulfed the ship, and then there was nothing.  
  
–-  
  
 _June 2nd, 2015. Gravity Falls, Oregon, United States of America_  
  
“Go! Go! Go!”  
  
“Work it! Yeah!”  
  
“Whoo, Mabel!”  
  
Dipper Pines chuckled as he leaned against the counter as his twin sister tore up the giftshop floor of the Mystery Shack with her dancing around while her three friends, Grenda Grendinator, Candy Chiu and Pacifica Northwest, cheered her on.  
  
“Ten bucks she trips on the pig.” He remarked to his co-worker and friend Wendy Corduroy as Mabel's pet pig Waddles decided to join the dance party.  
  
“Fifteen bucks she doesn't.” Wendy grinned.  
  
“You're on.” He held out his fist and she pounded it with her own before they leaned back to watch.  
  
The giftshop door suddenly burst open. “DO NONE O' Y'ALL EVER CHECK YER DAMN PHONES?!” Gideon Gleeful snapped as he stepped inside, looking like he'd run the whole way.  
  
“Whoa, what's up?” Mabel asked as everyone else got up from their places. Even the pig looked worried.  
  
“Well, if ye'd look out the window, ye'd find out!” He gestured outside and they all went to look out the door.  
  
“Uh...whoa.” Dipper breathed.  
  
“That's gonna cause an impact.” Mabel said, then winced as the ground suddenly shook violently. “Whooooa!”  
  
“See, this is why I like this town. Great friends, great people, UFOs dropping out of the sky out of nowhere and causing the whole town to shake...it's great.” Wendy remarked as they waited for the shaking to subside.  
  
“My uncles won't be back in town for another _week_.” Dipper said nervously.  
  
“Let's go check it out!” Mabel suggested.  
  
“Get Soos.” Dipper nodded. “Gideon, Wendy, let's go on ahead, see if we can take care of any danger.” He headed out and Gideon and Wendy followed close behind.  
  
–-  
  
The ship was _massive_ , and nestled itself right into some trees that cushioned its fall. Dipper frowned and looked at Gideon. “Gideon, do any supernatural live around here?”  
  
Gideon pulled out a map and looked it over. “No, it narrowly avoided the unicorn grove.” He pointed to it on the map.  
  
“Good.” Dipper rolled up his sleeves. “Alright...let's get this door open.”  
  
They walked up to the door of the large structure and looked it over before Wendy stepped forward and swung at it with her axe. “Hm. Not even a dent.” She remarked, running her hand over the spot.  
  
“Gideon, can you make a door?” Dipper looked at him.  
  
“Ah kin _try_.” He walked over and reached into his bag, pulling out chalk and starting to draw on it. “Tch. Chalk's no good.” He put it back in and got out a marker, sighing when that didn't work either. “We could use paint?”  
  
“There has to be a—whoa!” Dipper yelped as the door hissed and he grabbed Gideon as the three of them started to back up.  
  
“What the fuck?” Wendy breathed.  
  
“Wendy, Gideon is here.” Dipper reminded her.  
  
“Dipper, let's not forget the time he told you to fuck yourself.” Wendy remarked.  
  
“Ah was a _li’l_ more eloquent with my words at th’ time.” Gideon said defensively.  
  
The door finished opening and they all tensed up, but nothing was on the other side. They all looked at each other and then Dipper stepped forward, looking in. “Okay...”  
  
The area in front of the door was deserted, and the ship seemed...peaceful. Quiet.  
  
Unnerving.  
  
“Be on your guard. Gideon, it's kind of dark. Can you give us some light?” Dipper asked.  
  
“There's such a thing as flashlights.” He pulled one out of his bag and handed it over. “Stop tryin’ ter make me waste energy wit’ magic.”  
  
“I never said anything about magic.” Dipper grinned and took it before he turned it on and led the way in. “Two directions...left or right?”  
  
Wendy casually tossed her axe to the ground and it landed pointing left. “Left it is.” She said, picking it up.  
  
“Left.” Dipper nodded and they turned left from the door.  
  
Their footsteps _echoed_ which was unnerving itself, but the freakiest part was when they finally saw someone. He was collapsed on the floor, dressed in orange and white with some kind of device dropped from his hand. But the most unnerving part?  
  
Upon closer inspection, which Dipper stepped forward to do by kneeling next to him and moving the long fringe from his face, the person was _human_. “What...? He's human?”  
  
“We've been tricked before.” Gideon muttered.  
  
“Hm...” Dipper nodded. “You're right. We can't take chances. Bind him.”  
  
Gideon stepped forward and moved the guy's wrists behind his back before muttering a spell that created glowing chains around his arms, binding him. “Aside from bein’ unconscious, ‘e seems in good shape. Nothin’ broken.” He remarked as he moved down to bind his legs as well.  
  
“Alright. Wendy, take him back to the Shack and stay with him until he wakes up. We'll keep checking the place out.” Dipper told her.  
  
“You got it.” Wendy lifted the guy over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked out of the ship. “Geez, this guy is feather-light. Should eat more.”  
  
“Let's keep moving.” Dipper nodded to Gideon. “Be on your guard.”  
  
“O’ course.” Gideon nodded. “And if we see more o’ them?”  
  
“Bind them and move on. We want to avoid fighting as much as possible.” Dipper shone his flashlight ahead of them.  
  
“Got it.” Gideon nodded and followed him further in.  
  
–-  
  
“Whoa, who is _that_ hot guy?” Grenda asked as Wendy came in carrying what looked like a very attractive young man.  
  
“Aren't you engaged?” Pacifica asked her.  
  
“I still have eyes.” Grenda shrugged.  
  
“I don't know if he's human or not, but he looks human and Dipper wants him stashed in the basement until we know for sure.” Wendy said as she walked to the vending machine and typed in the code. It opened up and she headed in.  
  
“Oh! I could help you watch him!” Candy said as the other three followed her in.  
  
“Mabel still getting Soos?” Wendy asked.  
  
“Yeah, he's at the lake.” Pacifica nodded.  
  
“Alright, let her know the situation when she gets back.” She headed down the stairs and to the elevator, where she typed in the code for that and then entered, heading even deeper underground.  
  
Once inside the cavernous basement, she walked over to the desk-chair and roughly plopped him down before getting out an extension-cord to tie him to it. Better safe than sorry, in this case. They'd been tricked before.  
  
Never again.  
  
Once she was done, she pulled another chair over and took up sentry with her axe in her lap, staring the guy down even though he was asleep. Man, he was a heavy sleeper. Or maybe something else was at work.  
  
She hoped Dipper and Gideon were okay.  
  



	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his abduction from the IGF Atlas, James Griffin wakes to find himself thrust into a horror movie scenerio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voltron (c) Netflix and Dreamworks  
> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney

‘Ugh...my head…’  
  
James groaned as he slowly came back to the waking world. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced around cautiously, stopping when he spotted a red-haired woman dressed in plaid standing nearby, fiddling with what looked like an _axe_.  
  
‘You have _got_ to be kidding me.’ He thought, staring at her with wide eyes. ‘Survive three years of war against the Galra to get captured by some psycho redneck woman with an axe? What the fuck?’  
  
“Good. you’re awake. Finally.” The woman walked over and sat down in the chair across from him. “My colleagues aren’t back yet but, when they are, we’re going to do some _tests_ on you.”  
  
“Tests?” He frowned.  
  
“Okay, you’ve got a funky accent, but you seem to know English.” She remarked, laying one leg on her lap. “Should make things easier when we’re interrogating you.”  
  
“Interrogating me? Who _are_ you?” James tried to get up, then looked down at his binds. “...What? Did you...is this...an extension cord?”  
  
He hadn’t seen one of those since they started using the wireless chips. Great, so the crazy redneck has access to old Earth technology. Then again, it could just _look_ like one. “Who are you?” He asked again.  
  
“ _I’m_ asking the questions, pretty boy. You just have to give me answers.” She shifted the axe in her grip.  
  
He cringed and then looked at his legs. Though they weren’t bound to the chair, they _were_ bound together by some glowing chain that wrapped all around his legs from his ankles up to his thighs. No chance of escape, then. Even if he got out of the cord.  
  
“...What do you want to know?” He asked, turning cautious purple eyes towards her.  
  
He wasn’t planning on being killed by a crazy redneck woman with an axe.  
  
\--  
  
“Alright, Ah don’t know if Ah can keep binding ‘em.” Gideon said, wiping at his brow after he finished binding someone’s legs. “Binding spells are simple, but doing it many times over the course of an hour can tire you out.”  
  
Dipper looked at him, then sighed. “Alright. We’ll go back now, come back later. I’ll try to get my uncles to hurry up in their return.” He offered him a hand up and Gideon gratefully took it before shakily standing. “You gonna be okay?”  
  
“Ah need a nap.” Gideon admitted.  
  
“You’re doing great.” Dipper smiled and rubbed his shoulder before leading him out past the bound crewmembers and back to the exit. “We didn’t find the bridge, but we’ll figure that out later.”  
  
Gideon sighed and nodded. “Hopefully this won’t come back t’ bite us in the butt.”  
  
They made their way out and Dipper called for Soos to come and pick them up in his truck when Gideon collapsed to the forest floor. When he arrived, he helped Gideon get in and then they drove off to the Mystery Shack.  
  
\--  
  
Wendy was starting to get annoyed. Her captive, who had given the obvious fake name of “John Doe”, was being evasive with his answers and refusing to back down.  
  
‘I have a fucking axe and I’m circling him like a vulture, how is he _not_ terrified?’ She thought.  
  
“Wendy!” Mabel bounced into the room, catching his attention. “I’m here, I’m here! Oh, wow, he is just as cute as the girls said. Hello!” She ran over and slammed her hands on his legs, leaning in real close and making him lean back uncomfortably. “I’m Mabel! What’s your name? Are you single?”  
  
“Uhh...John.” He said awkwardly.  
  
“Well, Johnny - can I call you Johnny? - we just have a few little questions for you, so it’d be great if you could help us out.” She sat on his lap and trailed her fingers up his chest before cupping his cheek in her ring-covered fingers. “Otherwise, we might have to do something really, _really_ mean.”  
  
“John” tensed up. “Like what?”  
  
Mabel grinned. “GIRLS!” She called.  
  
Wendy quickly stepped back as Mabel’s three friends came in with boxes of stuff she wanted nothing to do with. “I suggest you start talking, John. Or else this is going to be _really_ uncomfortable.”  
  
To her shock, he actually _rolled his eyes_. “Do. Your. Worst.” He challenged.  
  
“I’m going upstairs. Tell me when he talks.” Wendy headed for the elevator, intent on getting out of there before the glitter came out.  
  
She found Dipper and Soos just arriving with an unconscious Gideon. “Is he okay?!” She asked.  
  
“Magic overuse.” Dipper assured her. “We didn’t have any trouble. Is our ‘guest’ awake?”  
  
“Yep. He didn’t talk when I threatened him with an axe, so Mabel and her team went in. I’m avoiding friendly fire.” Wendy walked over and lifted Gideon into her arms to carry him into the downstairs bedroom.  
  
“Does he speak English?” Dipper asked. “If not, I could probably--”  
  
“Trust me, he speaks English. And he is stubborn as _fuck_. Called himself John Doe and gave vague answers about where he came from.” Wendy huffed.  
  
“Did you search him?” Dipper asked.  
  
Wendy scoffed. “Nothing beyond his pockets. I’m not going to strip him, if that’s what you’re asking.”  
  
“Mabel’s probably got that covered. I’m going down.” Dipper headed for the elevator.  
  
“Good luck, dood!” Soos said as Dipper closed the vending machine behind him.  
  
He headed down and took the elevator. He was greeted with giggling and Mabel’s teasing voice as soon as he stepped out and he walked over to stand in the doorway and watch.  
  
They’d removed the extension cord and had gotten the guy’s jacket open, revealing a black, sleeveless turtleneck underneath, and Mabel was fiddling with his necklace while making flirty comments while the other girls put glitter in his hair and makeup on his face.  
  
“You’re very strong. Most guys crack by this point. And, wow, you’ve got some really good muscles.” She placed her hand on his chest. “Firm. _Nice._ How old are you and are you single? I _love_ older guys.”  
  
“John” looked completely unfazed by what they were doing, his expression set in some posture that Dipper would consider calling military-like. Actually, that necklace…  
  
“Mabel, what’s on that necklace?” Dipper spoke up.  
  
“Hm?” Mabel looked at him, then at the necklace. “Uhm...words! I see words! Sorry, glitter.” She dusted it off. “It says ‘Griffin’. And...uhm…’James H’. And...some other stuff.” She shrugged, then looked at the guy. “Is this your name?”  
  
Dipper walked over and roughly took the necklace into his hand, yanking on his neck a bit as he did. “These are _military dog-tags_. _Who sent you to Gravity Falls?!_ ” He demanded.  
  
James sighed heavily and closed his eyes, as if praying for patience. “I don’t even know what ‘Gravity Falls’ is. We crash-landed, that’s the best I can figure, after being in a battle.”  
  
“A battle? There’s no war going on right now.” Dipper frowned. “Who were you fighting?”  
  
“That’s classified information.” James replied.  
  
“We have ways of making you talk.” Dipper warned him.  
  
“I’ve faced worse than a bunch of kids with glitter and makeup.” James retorted. “Or a redneck with an axe.”  
  
“Who sent you!?” Dipper snapped, yanking on the necklace again.  
  
“Dipper, chill.” Mabel placed her hand on his and eased the dog tags out of his grip. “Worse comes to worst, we can go into his mind, right?”  
  
“Go into--” James finally looked affected.  
  
“I guess we can.” Dipper nodded. “But, that’s a last-resort thing. Especially since Gideon’s the only one that can do it without following a mind-demon in and he’s weak from binding the others.”  
  
James’ eyes widened. “Others? Are my people okay?!”  
  
“Relax, we didn’t hurt them. Didn’t even bind all of them, you have _way_ too many people on your ship.” Dipper plucked at James’ shirt. “Gotta say, though. Orange? Not very military. Never seen this style of uniform before, either.”  
  
James didn’t respond to that, choosing to instead glance around him. Geez, this technology was so _old_. He was so distracted that he didn’t realize Dipper was doing something else until a sharp pain hit his arm. “Ow!”  
  
Dipper stepped back with a syringe full of James’ blood. “Don’t worry, if you turn out to be human then we’ll untie you. Maybe. Might ask you a few more questions first.” He said pleasantly before walking over and opening a cabinet, pulling out some advanced tech that didn’t look like it belonged with everything else. “If not...well, we’ll figure out where to go from there. You see, we haven’t had a very good track record with…” He poured the blood into a tube on the machine and pushed a few buttons. “Aliens. Especially ones that can take human shape.”  
  
James watched him silently, ignoring Mabel starting to fondle him again.  
  
“You have some very nice eyes.” She said, rubbing his chest. “Seriously, are you single? Your skin is so tanned, wow.”  
  
“Let Candy have a turn!” Candy insisted.  
  
“You can rub his shoulders.” Mabel stuck out her tongue. “I’m pretty comfortable here and it’s my family’s house.”  
  
“Oh, fine.” Candy tugged his shirt down as far as the chains would allow.  
  
“You’ve gotta be, what, in your 20s? 30s?” Pacifica theorized.  
  
“Classified.” James replied, keeping his gaze on Dipper’s actions.  
  
“Your lips are really nice. Do you use gloss?” Mabel walked her fingers up his neck and to his face.  
  
“No.” He still didn’t look away from Dipper.  
  
The technology definitely didn’t look like it was from this world. The holographic screens indicated that much. Wherever Gravity Falls was, it was apparently detached from the war with the Galra but had access to technology from other worlds. How was _that_ possible?  
  
“Human.” Dipper turned off the machine. “He’s human.” He turned to James. “Alright. Let’s go back to my previous question: Who. Sent. You?” He picked up a dangerous-looking device that didn’t look like it belonged on this world.  
  
“Dipper.” Mabel frowned. “No. I’ll take it from here, put the zappy-stick away and go upstairs.”  
  
Dipper slammed the “zappy-stick” down and headed out. “Find out who sent him and what they want! I’m going back to that ship with Wendy!”  
  
“Okay!” Mabel called after him, then looked back at James. “Soooo...what do I have to do to make you talk, hm?”  
  
James sighed and then pursed his lips, returning to the military posture he had before.  
  
“Okay, girls. Time to pull out the big guns. Get the music.” Mabel nodded to the other two and then looked at Candy. “How’s it looking back there?”  
  
“He has a lot of scars, but it’s very cool-looking.” Candy remarked. “Shame the chains are in the way...if we could remove them, maybe we could strip him more and see if he has anything hidden!”  
  
“Good idea! Oh, what was that spell?” Mabel looked thoughtful.  
  
\--  
  
Dipper and Wendy stepped into the ship again, flashlight and axe at the ready. “Okay, Wendy. We bound a lot of them, but there’s still a lot we didn’t see and lots of people we didn’t tie up, so we have to--”  
  
“ _Disco girl, coming through. That girl is you!_ ”  
  
Dipper blushed at his ringtone and pulled out his phone, quickly answering it. “I need to put this thing on vibrate. What’s up?”  
  
“So, uh...don’t get mad, but...uhm...we removed the chains to strip-search him and...he...kind of...escaped?”  
  
Dipper groaned. “Mabel! Where is he now?”  
  
“Don’t worry, I am on the case! We put a tracker on his jacket, and it looks like he stopped right around the bottomless pit!” Mabel assured him. “I bet he fell in, haha.”  
  
“Find him.” Dipper said through clenched teeth. “Before he contacts whoever sent him.”  
  
“Got it!” Mabel hung up.  
  
Dipper looked at Wendy. “He’s loose. Shouldn’t have left, damn it!”  
  
“Well, what do--aaaaaaugh!” Wendy screamed as something hit her and she dropped to the floor, electrocuted.  
  
“Wendy!” Dipper knelt down to help her and gasped as a black and white sword appeared at his neck and a hand roughly gripped his shoulder.  
  
“Don’t. Move.” A raspy voice growled behind him.  
  
“...Oh, fuck.” Dipper groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's Dipper's turn to be locked up.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Wendy are caught by the Atlas, but James finds himself caught by something much more sinister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voltron (c) Netflix and Dreamworks  
> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney

Dipper groaned as he and Wendy were thrown into a wall and then a glowing barrier went up to keep them trapped inside the “room”. “Hey! What’s the big idea?!”  
  
“‘What’s the big idea’ with you having your wizard chain a lot of our people up?” One of his captors demanded. “Where did you take Lieutenant James Griffin?!”  
  
“I’m not telling you!” Dipper snapped.  
  
“You’ll talk soon enough.” The raspy-voiced one said.   
  
They left him and Wendy alone then, and Dipper sighed and scooted over to her, struggling with his bonds as he did. “Wendy? You okay?”  
  
“Ugh...no.” She groaned. “Did you see what hit us?”  
  
“They’re wearing helmets.” Dipper shook his head. “Can’t see any of their features.”  
  
“Great.” Wendy sighed.  
  
“It’s okay. I’ll find a way out of this. Or...Gideon will. Maybe Mabel.”  
  
“We’re gonna be stuck here for a week until your uncles get back, aren’t we?” Wendy sighed.  
  
Dipper hung his head. “...Probably.”  
  
\--  
  
“I don’t think I’ve seen so many trees since...ever.” James muttered as he made his way through the woods. He’d abandoned his jacket by a large pit to throw off the trail and was now trying to find his way back to the Atlas.  
  
“Whoa, a new face!”  
  
He paused and looked around. “Who?” He frowned, not seeing anyone.  
  
“Look down here!  
  
He looked down and saw a grinning...little man. Gnome? He looked like a gnome.  
  
“Huh.” He knelt down to look at the guy closer. “Don’t think I’ve seen an alien that looked like a garden gnome before.”  
  
“I’m not sure if I should feel insulted or not. Should I feel insulted?” The gnome looked unsure. “Anyways, tourists aren’t supposed to come into the woods. Or see me. Definitely no talking to me. This is rare.”  
  
“Uhm, I...got lost.” He stood up. “I guess we’ll just both go on our way and pretend we didn’t see each other.”  
  
He heard a sound and quickly ducked behind a tree, kneeling down behind some bushes to hide.  
  
“Oh man, where did he--Jeff!” Mabel walked over to the gnome. “Did you see a hot guy with purple eyes?”  
  
“What’s in it for me?” Jeff asked.  
  
“How about I don’t punt you into the lake, you horndog?” Mabel sounded annoyed.  
  
“Mabel, don’ use violence.” A new voice said as a blond boy walked into view. “You know that that doesn’ work on th’ gnomes. Jeff, ye _owe_ me. Where is the stranger?”  
  
Jeff sighed. “Last I saw, he went behind that tree. He’s probably left by now.” He pointed to James’ hiding place.  
  
Mabel nodded and walked over. James tensed up and then shoved her back when she spotted him before he ran off deeper into the woods.  
  
“Oh, come _on_!” Mabel cried. “Can’t you just come back?!”  
  
“Maybe ye shouldn’t have been molesting him.” The blond boy said dryly.  
  
“I...hm. Maybe.”  
  
Whatever they said after that, he didn’t hear because he got out of hearing range. He looked around and then started to climb a tree, hoping to see the Atlas from above.Where was this place? It looked like Earth, had humans like Earth, but they were nowhere _near_ Earth! He needed to find out what happened just before they were engulfed by that weird light. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any comm on him, or his datapad. Ugh…  
  
He got up high enough to look over the area and sighed with relief when he saw the Atlas. He estimated it was around two miles away from him. Kind of sucked on foot, but he’d managed it before. He could do it again.  
  
He lowered himself down to the forest floor and looked around before hopping off and taking to a run.  
  
He hoped his team was alright.  
  
\--  
  
Dipper looked up as one of their captors, the one in green armor, entered the room and walked up to their cell, carrying a tray. “Brought you food.”  
  
“I’m not eating it.” Dipper said firmly. “I don’t trust the military.”  
  
“Probably smart.” They sat down and took off their helmet, letting their reddish-brown hair loose, before picking up the fork and taking a bite. “But, Hunk would kill me if I drugged his food.” They opened a food slot and pushed the tray in. “It’s okay. I don’t like the military, either.”  
  
“But...you’re part of it.” Dipper frowned.  
  
“I’m a Paladin of Voltron. We’re separate, but we work with the military.” They grinned. “I’m Pidge.”  
  
Dipper shifted in his bonds. “Dipper. And how am I going to eat with these on?”  
  
“That’s a fake name, isn’t it?” Pidge got up and did something outside the cell that released his bound hands.  
  
“Yeah. Yours?” Dipper looked at them.  
  
“Yep.” They popped the “p” sound. “So, feel like talking?”  
  
Dipper sighed. “I have no idea where your guy is.”  
  
“What?” Pidge frowned.  
  
“I had him tied up in my basement, but my sister decided to strip-search him and untied him to do it. He escaped, and that’s as far as I know. I got the call about it just before you ambushed us.” Dipper explained.  
  
“Oh, yeah, you should probably turn off your ringtone before going into potentially-dangerous situations.” Pidge smirked.  
  
Dipper felt his heart skip a beat and swallowed nervously. “Uh, yeah. I realized that after it went off.”  
  
“Never took you for the pop type.” Pidge hummed with amusement.  
  
“It was my sister. I had it set for my sister.” Dipper said defensively. “Do _you_ have any sisters?”  
  
“Nope. Got an older brother, though.” Pidge got up. “Okay, so he’s running around loose in the woods without a weapon. I’m sure he’ll survive. I’ll go let Keith know before he goes into a panic from worry.”  
  
“Hey, let me out and I’ll help you find him.” Dipper got up.  
  
“Not likely. You and your axe-wielding friend there might try to attack me as soon as I open this door. I’m not stupid.” They chuckled. “Enjoy your meal.”  
  
Dipper sighed. “Hey, where is her axe, anyway?”  
  
“Obviously confiscated.” They turned and left the room, carrying their helmet under their arm.  
  
Dipper sat down and sighed. “Wendy...I think I have a problem.”  
  
“Again, dude?” Wendy opened one eye and then sat up, massaging her freed wrists.  
  
“Why does this keep happening to me?” Dipper groaned. “Pidge is so cute...what.”  
  
“At least you’re over _me_ , finally.” Wendy chuckled.  
  
\--  
  
James climbed up another tree to try to see where he was better. “Okay…” He muttered. “Looks like I’m about a half-mile away now. If I’m judging the distance right.” He sighed and climbed back down, looking around before he dropped to the forest floor and kept walking. “The sooner I can get back to the Atlas and out of this fairy land, the better.” He glanced over at what looked like Bigfoot lumbering by. “Keith would love this place, though.” He chuckled fondly. “Maybe, once we’ve figured out who’s friend and foe here, we can--” He gasped sharply as he was grabbed from behind and then he slammed to the ground. “Ungh!”  
  
Growling, he looked over his shoulder to see who had him pinned down. “Hey, what’s the...what the?” He frowned, not seeing anyone. He was _sure_ that someone grabbed him, though? He tried to move, but hands were definitely still gripping his wrists. He wasn’t imagining this. “What…”  
  
Something crawled up his back and a disembodied hand came into view.  
  
James couldn’t help it - he screamed. He screamed until the hand covered his mouth and then he heard an old woman cackling.  
  
“You’ve got some good, healthy luuungs there!” She came into view with a smile. “I like that! Ohhhh, some nice muscles, too!”  
  
What.  
What.  
What. The. Fuck.  
  
“Well, let’s get you home!” She said, and James was suddenly pulled to his feet and forced by more hands to walk after her, his arms still held behind his back.  
  
‘This can’t be real…’ He thought as he was led up a path and into a very nicely furnished cave.  
  
“Just sit him down over there, I’m going to call Gideon.” She picked up a clear ball and shook it around. “Gideon Gleeful!”  
  
James was sat down on a couch and held in place by the hands. All around the cave, there were more hands and even the furniture was made of hands and he was seriously freaking out right now.  
  
The ball glowed and the blond boy showed in it. “Hand Witch.”  
  
“Gideon.” She cackled. “I found your purple-eyed stranger boy. He’s veeeeery nice looking. I have him in the cave right now.”  
  
“Good. We’re on our way.” Gideon replied. “See you soon.”  
  
“I’ll make some teeeeea!” She said cheerfully, and then the ball darkened to just a clear ball again. Then she turned to James. “How do you like your tea? Black? Green?”  
  
James just stared at her with wide eyes, unable to speak because of the disembodied hand still over his mouth.  
  
“Well, I’ll make what Gideon likes.” She walked off to a campfire.  
  
“Mmhh.” He tried to shake the hand off. God, these things were stronger than a Galra!  
  
“Hey, do you like jokes?” She asked as she started to make the tea. “What’s your naaame, handsome?” She looked over. “Oh, right.” She clapped her hands and the hand over his mouth released his face and crawled down his body. James shuddered as it settled down on his lap. “Anyways, what’s your naaame, handsome?”  
  
James looked over at her. “...You’re a witch.”  
  
“Yeeeees?” She smiled.  
  
“I know enough folktales to know to never give my full name to any kind of magical creature.” James said firmly.  
  
“Oh, just your first name, then. That’s smart, though.” She smiled a gap-toothed grin.  
  
“It’s James.” James looked around nervously. “So...these hands…”  
  
“Magically taken off of thieeeeeves!” She said cheerfully. “Never going to steal again, aaaaare they?”  
  
James swallowed nervously. “This doesn’t seem real.”  
  
“Oh, that’s a pretty common opinion. Trust me, this town’s faced worse.” She walked over and ran a hand through his hair. “Muuuch worse. We--ohh, your hair is so soft. Do you condition it?” She leaned in and took a sniff. “Mm, smells nice, too! Why, you look and smell good enough to eat! But, I don’t do that.” She cackled at his expression and tapped his cheek with her hand. “I can think of a lot of _other_ things I’d rather do to _you_ , cutie!”  
  
James groaned. “Let me go…”  
  
“Nope! Not happening! Gideon told us to keep an eye out for a tanned guy with purple eyes and that’s you, so you’re staying put until Gideon’s done with you!” She cackled. “Besiiiiides, I could easily take your hands for my collection if you tried to escape meeeee.” She trailed her hands down to his bound ones, then reached below, causing James to flinch. “Ohh, nice and fiiiiiirm!”  
  
James hung his head. Why was _he_ always the one to get into this awkward situations? What did he do in a past life to deserve this?  
  
She cackled and moved away from him to tend the tea, while the hand on his lap started to wriggle and squeeze at his crotch.  
  
“That’s enough of that.” The hand was suddenly floating off his lap in a blueish-green glow and then Mabel and Gideon were walking up to him. “Hello, James.”  
  
“...Gideon, right?” James frowned. “You’re the one that put the chains on me.”  
  
“That’s right.” Gideon nodded. “Ah didn’ know if I could trust ye. Still don’t. If Ah’d known those hands would hold ye in place, Ah would’ve enlisted ‘er help sooner.” Gideon looked at the hand he’d sent away. “Although, it’s _clear_ they’ll have t’be supervised.”  
  
“What do you want with me?” James demanded.  
  
“Originally, we just wanted to find out who ye are and what _you_ wanted. But, now we’re dealing with a different problem.” Gideon said coolly.  
  
“Shortly after you escaped, my brother stopped answering his phone. He’s probably been captured.” Mabel told him.  
  
James laughed a bit, as if in disbelief of the situation. “They won’t hurt a kid, don’t worry. He’s probably just being put in a cell and questioned about his identity. You know, like you did to me. Only, without any sexual harassment.”  
  
“I mean, can you blame us?” Mabel shrugged. “You’re hot.”  
  
James sighed heavily. “Look, just let me go, I’ll convince them to let him go.”  
  
“We’re not stupid. We’ve been tricked before, and we’re _not_ being tricked again.” Gideon said coolly. “The _only_ way ye’re getting out of here is a trade. But, first, we’re going to want to ask ya some questions. We know yer name already, James Griffin. But, we don’t know where ye’re from, who ye’re with, who sent ya, or why ye’re here.” He stepped back and smiled. “I suggest ye start talking.”  
  
“I refuse.” James said firmly.  
  
“Hand Witch? Looks like we’re goin’ t’be here a while.” Gideon looked at her.  
  
“I’m already preparing some teeeeea!” She assured him with a smile.  
  
“Thank you.” He looked at James. “Ye’ll talk soon enough. It’s only a matter of time.” He walked over and sat down on an armchair, looking every bit like some kind of royalty. “And, darlin’, Ah have _plenty_ of that.”  
  
Mabel walked over and took another seat, reaching into her bag to pull out knitting supplies. “I’m going to make you a sweater!”  
  
James sighed and leaned his head back. “Seriously?” He muttered.  
  
He jerked a bit when he felt the hand climbing back up his leg again and it settled down on his lap while a couple more climbed up his back to rest on his shoulders to squeeze them in a strange and disturbing massage.  
  
“Can you...get these off?” He asked.  
  
“Feel like talkin’?” Gideon grinned impishly.  
  
“No.” James huffed.  
  
“Then, no.” Gideon leaned back in his seat, getting comfortable.  
  
It was fine. He could endure this. His people would come find him soon enough.  
  
They claimed to not know anything about the war, but that was impossible. Therefore, they must be allied with the Galra, since they weren’t allied with the Coalition.  
  
He wasn’t going to tell them _anything_.  
  
The hands started to get increasingly creepy with their touches and he closed his eyes, trying to mentally block it out.  
  
More hands started to mess with his hair and one settled into his shirt to fondle his chest.  
  
Looks like Gideon wasn’t going to be stopping it this time. Was this his goal? To creep James out enough by letting this happen that he talked?  
  
He opened his eyes and looked at the teenager staring at his plight impassively. Hand Witch came over to bring him a cup of tea and he took a sip, never taking his eyes off of him.  
  
James was reminded of that one really old movie, _The Iron Giant,_ where a similar situation happened between a government agent and the main character of the movie. Granted, there was no sexual harassment involved, but the intense stare-down was very reminiscent of that scene.  
  
The sexual harassment reminded him of an unfortunate mission he was recently involved in where he ended up getting stuck alone with a space octopus that had the ability to camouflage. Boy, was _that_ an awkward thing for Hunk to save him from. He’d thankfully kept his secret, but it was still awkward for _both_ of them for a few days after.  
  
Hunk wasn’t going to save him from this one, he figured. Not if they didn’t know where he was, and he had no way to track him down. Ugh, why did he have to be in his Atlas uniform and not his flight suit?  
  
“So, we didn’t actually get to properly strip-search him.” Mabel remarked.  
  
“If he had a weapon, he would’ve used it.” Gideon replied, still not looking away from James.  
  
“ID?” Mabel suggested.  
  
“The military wear dog-tags as replacement ID, since the plastic ID cards aren’t as efficient.” Gideon chuckled. “Didn’t yer brother tell you that?”  
  
“Blah blah, trivia, blah.” Mabel made a face.  
  
“Mabel, darlin’, there is _no_ reason to strip him aside from giving ye girls a show.” Gideon assured her.  
  
“I like a show.” Hand Witch commented.  
  
“Ah know you do.” Gideon chuckled.  
  
“But...it might make him talk?” Mabel suggested.  
  
“The answer is no.” Gideon shook his head with an amused smile.  
  
James huffed and tried to shake them off himself, to no avail. “Seriously, knock it off. This is...really creepy.”  
  
Gideon took another sip of his drink. “Thirsty?”  
  
“More creeped out.” James glared at him.  
  
“That’s not what Ah asked. By the way, clever trick with the jacket. We wasted a half-hour lookin’ for ya in the bottomless pit.” Gideon reached in his bag and took out the jacket. “Where is this style from? Ye speak English very well, but the style is very…hm...well, nothin’ Ah’ve ever seen.”  
  
“Where is this place?” James asked.  
  
“Y’all are in Gravity Falls, Oregon.” Gideon replied.  
  
“Oregon? Like...America?” James frowned. “That’s impossible. That would mean this is _Earth_.”  
  
“Yes.” Gideon nodded.  
  
“This _can’t_ be Earth.” James tried to shake his head, but a hand was holding it still. “We were nowhere _near_ Earth.”  
  
“Mm, think again.” Gideon crossed one leg over the other. “Ye’re on Earth, darlin’.”  
  
“And yet, you know nothing about the Galra Empire? The war?” James struggled to move again but the hands just held him tighter and continued fondling him. “How?!”  
  
Gideon clicked his tongue and then got up, walking over to grip James’ chin with a finger and thumb. “What. War?”  
  
“...The war against the Galra Empire. They took over Earth three years ago--”  
  
“Nothing like that happened. The only alien that attacked three years ago was Bill Cipher and ‘is goons.” Gideon said, cutting him off sharply.  
  
“What? When did _that_ happen?” James frowned.  
  
“August 25th, 2012.” Gideon replied.  
  
“...Wait...you just said ‘three years ago’.” James’ brow furrowed. “But...2012?”  
  
“Yes.” Gideon nodded.  
  
“...Everything makes so much _sense_ now. The technology...the trees.. _.everything_. _I’m_ _in the past_.” James breathed.  
  
“Time-travel?” Gideon stepped back. “What year did ye come from?”  
  
“2076.” James replied.  
  
“Oh, wow.” Mabel breathed. “Uhm, is there a way we can check if he’s, uh, related to any of us?”  
  
“Yes.” Gideon assured her.  
  
“Oh, good.” Mabel nodded. “Wow. That’s gotta be, what, 50 years?”  
  
“61.” James corrected her. “Since we’ve determined that I’m not a threat, can you get these hands off me?”  
  
“We haven’t determined that. Ye’re doing good, though. Keep talking. Hand Witch, make them stop fondling him.” He walked over and sat down again.  
  
“Do I haaaaave to?” She pouted.  
  
“He’s earned it.” Gideon crossed one leg over the other again. “Keep talking, James.”  
  
“What do you want to know? I’m not telling you about the future. I don’t know how we got here. Telling you about the war was bad enough.” James cringed.  
  
“Alright, then it all comes down ta this.” He reached in his bag and brought over his phone, dialing a number. “Ye will talk to your people and make ‘em let go of mine. Iffin they refuse, Ah will be forced ter do somethin’ unpleasant. Ye will not be freed until he is safe with ‘is sister.”  
  
”Define ‘unpleasant’.” James frowned.  
  
Gideon smiled pleasantly, too pleasantly, in that creepy “I’m going to make your life HELL” way. “ _Now_ who’s askin’ questions ‘bout the future?” He brought the phone to his ear, letting him hear the ringing as they waited for it to be picked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be an interesting conversation.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there's WORSE places to get stuck!


End file.
